British education system runs by unqualified staff, says NASUWT
London, England: The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) of England believes that the scale and depth of the proposed education budget cuts in Northern Ireland will make provision of a world-class education system unsustainable.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, the representatives at the Annual Conference of the NASUWT expressed serious concerns over decaying standards of education in United Kingdom that is outcome of constant budget cuts in Education sector.
“The life chances of generations of children and young people will be seriously damaged if the budget cuts go ahead in their present form, the Conference, which is being held in Cardiff, will hear. Hundreds of teachers face losing their jobs if these cuts are implemented, making the delivery of a high-quality service unsustainable”, said Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT.
It may be mentioned that some 500 teaching jobs are predicted to go in the first year, with the consequent colossal loss of talent and expertise to support the teaching and learning of pupils. Other resources will be slashed, essential services on which schools rely will be cut and programmes designed to support the most disadvantaged pupils are in jeopardy.
Justin McCamphill, said:
“Northern Ireland’s sustained economic recovery will not be secured by deep cuts to the school workforce, who do so much to nurture and develop the next generation, or by denying children and young people their entitlement to a high-quality education.”
A recent survey was also released by NASUWT that claimed that schools are run by “unqualified staff” and the situation was growing worse since schools are “unwilling or unable to pay for qualified teachers.”
It may be mentioned that the government abolished requirements for academies and free schools to hire qualified teachers in 2012. In these so-called free schools and academies, both funded by the state, there is no law requiring staff to have qualified teacher status, although in schools maintained by a local authority any unqualified trainee must be working towards their teacher training qualification.
